Good morning to all from Kingston, Jamaica. Waine and I are here on a little holiday and much needed rest. The weather of course is gorgeous!! Waine and his brother Earl were able to lay their mother to rest on our little farm next to her mother and we were able to attend the wedding of Waine's cousin so it has been a fun, filled and packed couple of days. We went to the beach yesterday and it was very windy but we still had fun.

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 27 verses 1-17. I had actually read this passage a couple of weeks ago but then had to research it because it just seemed confusing to me. I had to re-read it several times but I think I have the gist now.  "Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.  All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him. If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand.  So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’  They prophesy lies to you that will only serve to remove you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish.  But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live there, declares the Lord. I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.   Why will you and your people die by the sword, famine and plague with which the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying lies to you. ‘I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name. Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.  Then I said to the priests and all these people, “This is what the Lord says: Do not listen to the prophets who say, ‘Very soon now the articles from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you.  Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this city become a ruin?  If they are prophets and have the word of the Lord, let them plead with the Lord Almighty that the articles remaining in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem not be taken to Babylon.  For this is what the Lord Almighty says about the pillars, the bronze Sea, the movable stands and the other articles that are left in this city,  which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried Jehoiachin  son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: They will be taken to Babylon and there they will remain until the day I come for them,’ declares the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place." Amen. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of his Word.

I had to read this several times because I couldn't figure out why God was purposely telling Jeremiah to predict the subjugation of the people of Judah. When I read the concordances I figured out that God had to distinguish Himself and His prophet Jeremiah from all the false prophets that were out there preaching teachings that were not sanctioned by God. God also knew that only the faithful would obey His commandment to willingly subjugate themselves into the hands of a nation that did not believe in the true God Jehovah. You really had to have faith in God to trust that you would be protected! Just like the three (3) Hebrew boys,  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who had unwavering faith in the power of God to deliver on His promises to keep them safe, the people of God of Jeremiah's times also had to learn trust and obedience.

One of the lessons I am learning is obedience and trust. God's promises are true and can be trusted. What I think happens is that we think His promises must occur on our time table. God's promises always happen on His timetable which allows us to learn the lesson on TRUST. As we wait on the Lord, just like the three Hebrew boys, even when we see the flames of destruction around us instead of looking at eye level we should look UP from whence comes our help. When God lead the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, He could have taken them a shorter route but instead He used the time to test the faithfulness of these people who cried unto Him to be delivered. Even Moses, His most faithful, lost his patience and faith and instead of speaking to the Rock, Moses smote the Rock. This act of disobedience cost Moses the opportunity to cross into the Promised Land. It didn't cost Moses his reserved seat in Heaven but his act of disobedience cost Moses the blessing of seeing the promised land.

So to for us as Christians. Our salvation is secure however our acts of disobedience cost us our blessings and the timing of our blessings here on earth. Oh that we could learn to submit to the "still small voice" of the Holy Spirit that admonishes us to surrender our Will to Him. Remember the two great commandments to Love God with all your heart and soul and then to love your neighbor as God has loved you. If you need to forgive, then forgive yourself and then the one you thought offended you. If you have transgressed then ask for God's forgiveness. If you lack patience then be patient. What ever you lack then plan accordingly and as if you had it already. Don't limit God with your own limitations. Trust God and His abundant love for you.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you;  may the Lord make His face shine on you  and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace! Have a gret week.

Stephanie